Motorcyclist leads CHP on pursuit, stops 4 times for gas

28-year-old Oakland man arrested after a lengthy pursuit reportedly tried four times to refuel a stolen Kawasaki ZX 10

By Harry Harris
The Oakland Tribune

OAKLAND, Calif. — A suspect may run, but they can't hide, especially when a stolen motorcycle runs out of gas.

That was the lesson learned Tuesday night by a 28-year-old Oakland man arrested by the California Highway Patrol after a lengthy chase during which he reportedly tried four times to refuel a stolen Kawasaki ZX 10, before finally running out of gas, officials said.

The chase started about 10:30 p.m. Tuesday when a CHP K-9 officer tried to stop Mark Crawford, who was allegedly speeding on Hegenberger Road near Interstate 880 on a motorcycle that had no license plate, authorities said.

The officer did not know at the time that the cycle had been stolen in Dublin in January, CHP Officer Sean Wilkenfeld said Wednesday.

With a CHP helicopter above and officers on the ground in pursuit, the chase went on and off the freeway and on city streets, with the motorcycle at times going in excess of 80 mph.

The helicopter officers kept in contact with officers on the ground. When Crawford stopped four times at different stations for gas, he was stymied each time when CHP patrol officers were directed to his location by the helicopter, and he was forced him to take to the road again.

Two of the stations where he tried to fill up were on 73rd Avenue and at MacArthur Boulevard and Pierson Street, Wilkenfeld said. The locations of the others were not available.

He finally ran out of gas shortly after 11 p.m. at a fifth gas station on 98th Avenue near I-580 and took off running. He was arrested after a short foot chase.

Authorities said Crawford was arrested on suspicion of vehicle theft, possession of stolen property, evading police with disregard for public safety, identity theft and forgery. He also had five outstanding arrest warrants, including one in

Alameda for vandalism and the others in Los Angeles for false identification and traffic violations, authorities said.